Restitution
by tanjobi-o-koete
Summary: Loki is taken back to Asgard to face justice for his crimes against humanity. Odin comes down hard on his youngest son, unable to see plausible alternatives. Thankfully, Thor still has two good eyes, and he's made a pitch the King of the Nine Realms is willing to consider. Now he'll have to see if he can get Earth's Mightiest Heroes to do the same.
1. Chapter 1

**A\N: I love Loki recovery stories, and I wanted to try one of my own with a couple spins on it. This is my first Avengers Fanfiction, so please be kind in your reviews. Currently, there are no trigger warnings. If that changes I will tell you in the author's note preceding the chapter that contains the trigger. Iron Man 3 has taken place, Thor: The Dark World has not. This story will include nearly the entire cast, though some will make more appearances then others. Enjoy, and please leave a review. Thank you!**

* * *

Tony Stark didn't hate a lot of things. There were a lot of things that annoyed him. There were a lot of things that put him in a foul mood. There were a lot of things that ticked him off, disgusted him, and made him doubt the faith he may or may not have had in the human race, but there were few things that he truly, deeply, entirely hated.

Tony Stark truly, deeply, entirely hated the morning.

Specifically, he hated the hours of the morning that fell between four and nine, because those five, miserable hours were not nearly enough to get ready for another day. His hangover had not yet been slept off, coffee did little to wake him up, and his temperamental fuse was way too short to be dealing with people in a civil manner. So, of course, it had to be right smack dab in the middle of those five loathsome hours that he received a call from S.H.I.E.L.D. demanding his immediate presence.

_You've got to be kidding me._

But they weren't, so with sleep lying in heavy circles beneath his eyes, he dragged himself out of bed and began the long trek up to the rooftop, already working out seventy-five different ways to kill Director Fury along with whoever had caused the early-morning disturbance.

_If you're gonna take over the world or hatch some crazy scheme, at least have the humanity to do it at a reasonable hour. Earth's Mightiest Heroes need some Z's, too. For the love of…_

Tony got to the top floor and stepped onto the platform he typically used to take off his suit, snapping his fingers to get Jarvis' attention while his brain attempted to throw together a somewhat coherent sentence.

"Jarvis, suit me up. Use the uh—the Rewind Protocol we've been working on." He rolled his shoulders, trying to work out the kinks and knots that came with falling asleep on a work bench. "If Pepper asks, just tell her I'm out… I don't know. Tell her I'm working."

"Yes, sir," the mechanical voice replied. "What should I tell her when she isn't satisfied with that excuse?"

Tony sighed, wincing slightly as the rotating applicator fastened his breastplate just a little too hard. "It's too early for this."

"Dually noted, sir."

Seconds later, the mask was snapped on, and—after a few moments spent grieving the loss of several hours of sleep—Tony Stark split the sky in two, making a beeline for the perceived location of the hellicarrier.

* * *

"How long did you say he'd be out for? Man, Stark better show up real soon. I am this close to putting an arrow through his eye socket. I swear..."

Tony rolled his shoulders, cocking his head to one side and then the other in an attempt to stretch his muscles out. The flight had done practically nothing to ease his body into a state of consciousness—in fact, he probably fell asleep a few times en route—and from the sound of Clint's voice, the situation was not going to be any less stressful once he got to the meeting room.

"Please, have patience. I assure you, he will not wake until I command him too."

"What do you expect to gain by bringing him here? We won't give him anything less than death. _America _won't accept anything less than death."

"No, it is not that, I—I would truly prefer if we could wait until everyone is here. This situation is very sensitive."

Grasping the handle, Tony let himself in, arms spreading in a display of exaggerated grandeur as he sauntered over to the only empty seat at the table. "Let's get this party started. Speaking of which, are you supplying drinks? Because there was no BYOB on the invitation, so you're technically obligated to give me, you know… what are we doing here?" He sat down and yawned loudly, rubbing his forehead to clear away some of the fog.

"I am sorry for calling you all here so early." Thor, whose presence Tony would have questioned if he had the notion to, nodded in the direction of one Bruce Banner. "Especially you, Doctor. I am in your debt."

Bruce simply waved it off, indicating that he wanted Thor to get on with his pitch. Tony found it strange that Bruce had nothing to say, though he didn't comment; in serious situations such as this, the doctor usually had good insight to give.

Regardless, the multibillionaire wanted to get the show on the road, so raised a hand and waved it around to grab Thor's attention before dropping it back down and resting his chin on his palm. "Right, right, we're all super happy. But before you launch into your spiel, does someone want to bring me up to speed?"

No one said a word, but three fingers immediately extended to direct Tony's attention towards the far corner. He had to lean slightly in order to see around Thor, but after that it took all of two seconds for him to grasp the situation.

"I hate you."

Thor sighed, rubbing his face. "I know, but I have a good reason for bringing Loki here."

"I'm sure you do, and now that Mr. Stark is here, I know we'd all love to hear it."

Tony startled at the familiar voice and turned to find the director and his right hand woman standing to the right of the meeting table. It seemed they had been there the whole time but had been out of his immediate line of vision, and given his current level of functioning, he hadn't noticed. In fact, he hadn't really noticed anyone in the room except Bruce and Thor, but now that he was looking, he realized the whole team was present.

Clint sat at the opposite end of the table and was, of course, furious beyond words. He sat with his arms folded over his chest and a permanent glare carved into his features, steam practically shooting from his ears. Natasha sat beside him, impassive as ever but still openly displeased with the situation. Both of them were in their uniforms, which was more than could be said of Steve, who had decided to show up in his pajama pants and a hoodie, a pair of fluffy brown slippers on his feet. Then again, Tony was only wearing jeans and a t-shirt with little more than a million coffee stains on it, so he was in no position to judge.

"Start talking." It was the Hawk who prompted Thor to explain himself.

Thor shifted again, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before turning to face his teammates once more. "When I took Loki to Asgard, I expected him to face justice. I didn't like it, but I assumed he would spend the rest of his life in prison or be executed upon his arrival, and at first it seemed I was right. Loki has spent these past two years in complete isolation, but it turned out to be a temporary arrangement. Father wanted to take time to work out a sentence he deemed appropriate, and I received the details of that sentence at the crack of dawn of yesterday."

The thunder god paused, looking around the room to gauge the given reactions so far. Tony didn't give one. He wasn't entirely sure that he had one yet, actually. Whether it was the exhaustion stifling his ability to get mad or the fact that Loki was completely harmless in his current ragdoll state, he didn't know. All he knew was that he wasn't angry—not yet.

"Loki is to be bound in an underground cavern where a giant serpent will periodically spray its venom on him until Ragnarok, which I am told is similar to the Midgardian Apocalypse. During his sentence, anyone who wishes to take advantage of his situation can easily do so by gaining access to Asgard." Thor sighed, his shoulders slouching as if the weight of the situation hadn't even dawned on him until that moment. Steve was somewhat pale, and Tony's lips had curled into a light frown, but the others in the room remained expressionless.

"Father has disowned him." Thor continued, looking at the lump in the corner once more. "He hopes that harsh punishment will make Loki realize the severity of his crimes, and that the disconnection from his family will grant him the independence he has so strongly demanded. I… disagree."

Silence travelled around the table, but it didn't last very long.

"What does this have to do with us?" Natasha bluntly verbalized the question that was on everyone's minds, but Steve was still quick to tack on a tone of sympathy.

"We understand he's your brother, Thor, but you were the one who said he had to face Asgardian justice. What do you want us to do?"

Thor scanned their faces briefly, looking at Bruce for an exceptionally long time and speaking only after he had received a nod of approval from the good doctor. "I have pleaded with Father to lighten Loki's sentence, but he has remained unmoved up until today. I made a suggestion—one that I think could benefit both Loki and Midgard—and he seemed to think it was… worth consideration."

Tony could feel the pressure building in the room. Thor's careful words were indication enough that what he was about to say had a high potential to tick everyone off, and when Tony factored in the speed of Clint's eye twitches, things looked even worse.

"I asked him if I could bring Loki to Midgard… and try to rehabilitate him."

Silence reigned once more, but it didn't last, even with Thor's hands outstretched in a wordless plea for everyone to give him a chance to explain.

"And he _agreed?_"

"Thor, you can't volunteer the whole planet for things without discussing it first."

"Even if we did agree, I'm not looking forward to another conflict with the Council. They're still angry about the Avengers Initiative getting pushed instead of Phase Two."

"Hey!" Steve was the one who brought peace back to the room, giving Thor a pointed look. "I assume you're going to explain exactly what you mean by that?"

Bruce raised a hand at this, gaining the attention of the table before clearing his throat and getting to his feet. "I'll actually give a little input on that, if you don't mind."

"Please do, Dr. Banner." Thor rubbed his face and then carded that same hand through his somewhat tangled hair, obviously dealing with the consequences of long-term stress.

Bruce gave a slight nod and cleared his throat again, standing up and adjusting his glasses before speaking. "Loki has actually been on planet earth for a couple days. Thor came to see me first, and we spent several hours discussing Loki's mental state. Loki was unconscious the entire time, and without the use of psychological tests, it's hard to say exactly what's going on up there, but I do have a general idea. My biggest concern is his psychosocial development."

Tony's head perked up at that, a contemplative expression crossing his face. "Psychosocial development?" he echoed, trying to pull up old information from his psychology classes. It had been at least a twenty years since he used those terms, but he could still scrape together a rusty idea of what Bruce was talking about.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development and the different stages a person is supposed to go through. Integrity verses confusion is the first stage that occurs after childhood, and it's the stage in which someone figures out who they are and what they want out of their lives. They either obtain an identity, or they enter into a crisis and stay there until they can figure out what their identity is. Once they have an identity, they move onto the next stage, which is intimacy versus isolation." Bruce paused and skimmed his audience for any sign that someone did not understand. When there was none, he continued, obviously trying to make his explanation as short and sweet as possible.

"When someone skips a stage or goes backwards through stages, there can be serious repercussions. For example, trying to be in a relationships before you know who you are and what you want with your life. Or having a well-established and happy life that is suddenly thrown into reverse because of some catastrophic event." Bruce gestured to Thor. "We think this might have been what happened with Loki."

There was an audible scoff from Clint, and Natasha's eyebrow was arched sharply in disbelief, but Steve was thoroughly intrigued by the aspect. Tony himself couldn't deny that the theory had some interesting qualities, even if it was a bit farfetched.

"What makes you say that?"

Thor's eyes landed on Steve, and he was quick to jump back into the conversation. "My brother and I are both over one thousand years old, and we were told our entire lives that we were both sons of Odin, princes of Asgard, and fully Aesir. However, not too long before my brother's attack on Midgard, he discovered that such was not the case for him. He is—" Thor turned to look over his shoulder, almost as if he was afraid that his brother would wake up and hear what he was about to say, despite the fact that Loki already knew. "He is the son of King Laufey, of the Frost Giants, and he is born of Jotunheim."

"Jotunheim?"

"One of the nine realms," the thunder god answered quickly. "To put it mildly, they are our mortal enemies. To put it bluntly, all of Asgard loathes their existence, and we are quite… what's the word? Dr. Banner—?"

"Racist."

"Thank you. Asgard is very racist towards the Jotuns. I am greatly ashamed to admit that as a child, I aspired to one day wipe out their entire race, and I believe Loki did, too. It was something we believed was right, and finding out that he was one of them…"

Tony cut in, the cogs slowly beginning to turn within his skull. "I thought Asgard was supposed to be advanced. Racism aside, isn't it common knowledge that kids should know they're adopted as soon as possible? That's why people make soaps about people finding out they're adopted—it's makes for a great, big, dramatic mess."

"You're going to take his side on this?" Clint questioned from the other end of the table, his face a mask of thinly veiled rage.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm only saying that, if what Thor's telling us is true, then we have to seriously consider the psychological aspect of things. Finding out you're adopted is traumatic enough on its own, but finding out you're adopted from a race you were raised to hate and demean is something else entirely." Tony's hands started to move as he spoke, his body slowly warming up as the last tendrils of sleep released their hold on his mind. "We haven't even asked how Loki found out, how he reacted, who he confronted, how it went, what the surrounding details were—we haven't even scratched the surface. Don't jump the gun just yet, double-o." Barely taking a breath, he turned and pointed to Steve. "Remember when I told you Loki was a full-tilt diva?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah. Flowers, parades, and giant towers."

"That tower is a part of my identity. People know that the tower is mine, they know that I experiment with clean energy in there, and I know that they know it. What if Loki was trying to do the same thing? This is just a theory, but going with the little scenario Bruce and Thor set up for us, what if Loki was trying to build an identity in his own demented way?"

The super soldier cupped his hand around his chin, staring down at the table with a thoughtful expression on his face. "He didn't try to hide in Germany. He wanted to be seen and heard, and he wanted people to know his name. In his speech, he even said that our life's joy is diminished by a mad scramble for power and identity. Sounds to me like he had identity on the brain."

Tony wished he had some blueberries to give the man. Instead he simply gestured to Thor and waved his hand around. "Alright, we're following along so far. Keep going. I want the deets."

Sky blue eyes blinked slowly. "Deets…?"

"Details," Clint explained, leaning forward in his seat and placing all of his attention on the thunder god.

"Ah." Thor nodded and then paused, gathering his thoughts for a moment or two before speaking. "Well, I do not know the exact conditions, but… I suppose I will just start from the beginning. On the day I was to be crowned King of Asgard, Loki used his magic to sneak a handful of Frost Giants into the weapons vault. I… I truly do not think he meant any harm at the time, but in my rage I wanted to go to Jotunheim and force my enemies into submission. So, I did, and with me I dragged my brother and friends. I believe it was during this fight that Loki learned of his true heritage, but I was banished to Midgard immediately after our return, so we were never able to discuss it."

"You were banished?" Steve frowned, cupping his chin in his hand and leaning against the table. "What were the terms of that?"

Thor rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepishly, allowing a quiet chuckle to pass through his lips. "I was banished because I acted against the will of my king and nearly started a war. On top of that, I endangered the lives of my brother and friends. If not for Loki, we would have surely died."

Tony was interested in hearing more about how Loki was responsible for their survival, but more than that he wanted to get the full story and figure out what the heck they were going to do with the mischievous horn-head. Steve was also satisfied, it seemed, and Thor continued his tale without any more delay.

"While I was on Midgard, Loki entered the weapons vault and picked up the weapon we took from Frost Giants many moons ago. My father tried to stop him, but he had already acquired the appearance a Jotun. He asked—"

"It changed his appearance?"

Thor looked across the table towards Natasha, nodding his head. "Yes. The Frost Giants have dark blue skin laden with risen marks and crimson eyes that are glassy and solid. That is Loki's true appearance."

Tony raised his hand. "If Loki does stay, I vote we make him go blue for Halloween." Not giving Thor the chance to say he didn't understand, the billionaire waved his hand around some more and leaned back in his chair. "Never mind. Just keep talking."

"Very well. Loki asked if he was cursed, and when Father said he wasn't, he began to demand answers. He got them, but he twisted the words, accusing Father of using him for political gain. I am told he was very distraught when Father fell into the Odinsleep, but they were never able to finish their conversation."

"The Odinsleep?"

Thor took a moment to look around, unsure of who had asked the question, seeing as three different voices had called it out. "It is a state the Allfather must enter into when he is weak. When you live for thousands upon thousands of years, you must have some form of rest other than sleep. It is much like being unconscious or in a… a coma, I believe."

Bruce nodded, taking this moment to push back into the conversation. "Sorry, Thor, but I'd like to get this show on the road." He turned to face the rest of the table. "After Odin went into his sleep, Loki was crowned King of Asgard, and while in power he plotted to kill the King of Jotunheim and then destroy the planet entirely. Building on the previous theory of identity, we could refer to that as a stage of denial. He didn't want to be a Frost Giant, and he wanted to prove himself an Asgardian. He wanted to prove that the identity he was raised to believe was his, really was his."

"He cut his ties," Clint murmured, drumming his fingers on the table with an expression that made it seem as though he was actually considering the matter at hand. "He didn't want to be a part of them, so he turned against them to ensure no one would ever see them as the same race."

"What does that mean, though?" Everyone turned to look at Tony, who wasted no time in continuing his train of thought. "If he's got psychological issues, we might not want to sentence him to death or the cave of snakes, but what are you suggesting we do? Put him in a home for crazies? Send him to a shrink?"

Thor and Bruce exchanged glances, the older male's lips slowly parting. "Well… yes, actually."

Silence.

"Dr. Banner has already agreed to have daily sessions with Loki, and my Father sealed his magic immediately upon his return to Asgard. He still has impressive strength and agility, and his silver tongue and quick wit are both natural talents of his, but it will be easy to contain him. I brought a large amount of gold from the treasury, which I am told I can change into Midgardian currency, so Asgard will handle all of Loki's expenses as well as my own."

Thor looked around the table, but Tony knew he wasn't going to find what he was looking for. No one was convinced, and while Steve was sympathetic, it was clear that he wasn't going to take the trickster's side.

Tony decided to throw him a bone.

"Bruce, you agreed to be a therapist for Reindeer Games?"

Bruce nodded slowly, adjusting his glasses. "I know we can only give you a brief summary now, but Thor and I talked for quite some time, and I was given a detailed account of Loki's recent past and… not so recent past." He inhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing at his eyes. "I'm willing to give him a chance. He can't do much damage in the state he's in, and if there's a chance we could figure out what's going on inside that head of his, well…" he gestured to Fury and Hill, chuckling softly, "…maybe we could put some of his power on our side. I don't think anyone in the room would be opposed to that."

Looks were cast around the table, but in the end, Tony was once again responsible for keeping the conversation moving.

"Alright, so this could be good for us. We can all agree that we're into getting stuff out of other stuff, and we can all agree that Loki's not much of a threat right now. Thor here's our buddy, so he's got that going for him, but I just have one more question. If we decide to let Loki hang around, where are we setting this up?"

Clint jumped on that, resting an elbow on the table and gesturing towards Thor with an open hand. "We need to be able to get to his location fast in the event that he tries something dangerous. You might be able to outvote me—maybe even convince me in a decade or two—but we can't put Loki anywhere where he has a chance of escape."

"Well… actually…" Thor and Bruce exchanged glances, silently tossing the answer back and forth.

Tony followed that answer with his eyes, glancing from one to the other and back again until realization finally dawned on his features. "What? No. No, no, no. You are not bringing that psychopath into my tower!"

_I hate the morning._


	2. Chapter 2

Something was wrong. Granted, there was nothing particularly unpleasant in the surrounding environment, and he wasn't in any considerable pain or discomfort. Quite the opposite, it was rather peaceful and very calming. He felt clean and refreshed, and the air around him was similar, no longer dank or musty or laden with dust. Sunshine streamed in through a large window and danced across his face, the scent of mildew was gone, and he could feel soft, clean sheets rubbing against his skin.

_I'm not in prison anymore._

Every muscle in the god's body tensed, emerald eyes snapping open and quickly scanning his new chambers for any sign of an immediate threat. He saw none, but the thought of relaxation didn't even cross his mind. He recognized his surroundings—or rather, he recognized the objects within—and the thoughts they carried with them made his skin crawl.

_It appears to be Midgardian in fashion._

Loki was not so quick to believe that he was actually on Midgard, though. For all he knew, this was something the Allfather had conjured in order to get a glimpse of how his captive's brain worked now.

_Fool. Chambers are chambers, and a cage is a cage; the contents make little difference._

He sat up, bed sheets pooling around his hips while his hands braced against the mattress as a means of support. It took only a moment or two to assess the situation, and once he was confident that the room was completely empty, he began to slide towards the edge, swinging his legs out over the side and placing both feet on the ground.

_My clothing is Midgardian as well. However—_he gave it a quick sniff_—it is most certainly washed and fresh. It's not luxurious, but I wouldn't exactly call it the clothing of a prisoner, either. It is, at the very least, comfortable and of a tolerable color scheme._

Shaking his head, he slowly rose to his feet and tested out his balance as well as the extent of control he had over his body, flexing his fingers and shifting from foot to foot in an attempt to find some sort of hidden injury he had yet to discover. This continued for several minutes, his shoulders rolling, neck cracking, arms stretching, toes wiggling, and back bending several times each until he was convinced that he had not been poisoned or cursed.

_My body may be sound, but my magic is not. I cannot feel its presence and—_

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the door to the room swung inward, revealing the Man out of Time as well as the hallway that lay beyond. It looked familiar, though it was not Asgardian in any way, and Loki couldn't help but think that perhaps he truly was on Midgard.

The Captain, who was not in his typical outfit of spangles and stripes, motioned for Loki to exit the room with him, standing aside and holding the door ajar with one arm.

Loki's eyes wandered over him carefully, brows arching in an air of disbelief. "I believe it unwise to take the advice of my adversaries." His fingers subconsciously curled around the sheets on the bed behind him.

"You can walk, or you can be carried." The Captain's voice was stern and clipped, his eyes turning to ice as he stared the other down. "What's it gonna be, Loki?"

Chewing the inside of his cheek, Loki pretended to ponder the situation, but the obvious choice was to walk. It left a certain amount of dignity at his disposal, and should there be an opportunity to run, his chances would certainly be higher if he wasn't slung over the other man's shoulder.

"So impatient, Captain." Loki started to walk slowly, never once allowing his eyes to leave the other's face. "I was just being cautious, that's all."

Steve—or at least, that's what Loki remembered his civilian name to be—waited until the god of mischief was just beyond the doorframe to snap it shut and urge him down the hall to the left. Loki complied without any trouble, taking the other's bitter silence as an excuse to look at his surroundings and see if he could pinpoint exactly where on Midgard he was.

_There I go, assuming things are one way when they could be another way entirely. I still don't know for certain that I am, indeed, on Midgard. _He frowned slightly, taking another look around as he was directed down a side path. _In fact, if this keeps up, I may never know where I am for certain. There isn't a window in sight._

"I assume that you are leading me to my execution, but I have a question surrounding the circumstances." He gave the other a pleasant but intentionally sarcastic smile. "Should I ask you, or should I wait until I see someone who's a little bit livelier?"

Steve didn't respond.

"Oh, Captain, I believe you still have some thawing to do. You're being rather _cold_, don't you think?" He chuckled softly, feigning amusement at his own little joke.

Still nothing from Steve.

_What does it mean, though? Was he ordered to keep quiet in order to avoid my traps? Or is this an illusion set by someone who doesn't know the personalities and behaviors of Earth's Mightiest Heroes well enough to imitate them?_

Loki once again allowed a scowl to twist the corners of his mouth, tension running across his shoulders and into his neck. He didn't like the uncertainty of the situation, but there was little he could do to change things at this point. He couldn't develop a plan if he didn't have any information, and he wouldn't be getting any information unless he got outside or found somebody who talked, and he wouldn't be able to get outside or find somebody who talked unless he had a plan. So, on the cycle went.

"Stop."

Loki looked over his shoulder at the sudden command and slowed to a stop, gradually turning to face his guide completely. _It's my turn to be silent. Maybe it will coax him into speaking._

Unfortunately, it didn't look like Steve was changing his tune but rather, plucking choice notes out of necessity. He had obtained Loki's attention, so it was unnecessary to speak anymore, and Steve seemed quite content to stand there in absolute stillness, staring at the wall.

"…"

Loki also stared at the wall, noting the door-shaped indentation and the glowing buttons set to the side. It looked vaguely familiar, and was probably a piece of equipment native to Midgard, but Loki hadn't the slightest idea what it was for. _I wouldn't be surprised if it were a door, but where are the handles? He hasn't done anything but push a button._

Suddenly, the two metal panels that made up the alleged door slid to their respective sides, revealing a small square room with a mirror on the ceiling and lights on the floor.

"Ahem."

Emerald eyes snapped over to look at Steve, who was watching Loki with an expectant expression on his face. Figuring the soldier wanted him to step inside, he began the short walk into the alcove, bearing equal amounts of dignity and apprehension. Steve followed him in, and Loki opted for standing near an assortment of buttons that he deemed to be the control panel.

_Interrogation? _He looked around the room for a hatch or a small door that would open at the command of the buttons Steve was now pressing. _But it's so small…_

He didn't expect the room to move.

Breaking composure for a brief moment, he grabbed onto the nearby handrail and shifted stance to catch his balance, muscles going taught at the sensation of suspension the situation brought.

"It's just an elevator." Steve spoke softly and plainly, glancing at Loki with an unusual mix of sympathy and suspicion dancing in his eyes.

Loki was quick to stare the other down, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to display a confidence that was less than skin deep. His enemies were present, watching his every move, and the last thing he needed was them believing he was weak. "I know that."

Steve arched a single brow. "You know about elevators." It was a statement, but the heavy tone of disbelief made it sound like a question.

_I got him to talk. _This was good, even if Loki wasn't fond of the mortal questioning him, and if he could keep things moving, perhaps he could get a little more information about his current predicament, and thus, make moves to plan and execute an escape.

"Yes, of course. I've been to Midgard before, you know."

"Thor's been here five times. He still doesn't understand elevators," was the quick retort.

Loki didn't miss a beat, a wry smile curling the corners of his mouth. "Thor and I are two very different people."

"You mean Thor doesn't wander from realm to realm trying to dominate different races?" There was false humor in the man's voice, but it lacked the bitterness necessary to be a direct insult. "Although, there was something about a planet with frost giants."

"Oh?" Loki tilted his head to the side, curiosity lighting his eyes while he began to process the information internally. _What do mortals know of frost giants? Thor could have told them, but he would have little to tell them other than his attempted triumph, and it is unlikely that he would deliberately share a tale of shame and defeat with his comrades._

The elevator jerked to a halt, and the doors were sliding open in a matter of seconds. This time around, Loki managed to limit his reaction to a brief loss of balance, and he strode out with a regained sense of confidence. He was a fast learner—next time he wouldn't be caught off guard by the moving metal box.

"Stop." Steve stepped out after him and gave him a pointed look, his shoulders squared just as tightly as Loki's. "Don't get too far ahead of me."

"Aye." He ignored the withering glare that was cast in his direction, choosing instead to make note of the more hospitable environment. Unlike the previous hall of shimmering metal and blinding fluorescent lights, these corridors were painted a warm, natural green color and adorned with tan carpeting.

"So," the god began, following Steve down the left-hand hall, "you have heard tales of the monsters that inhabit the frozen wastelands of Jotunheim. I assume this is because of Thor. Well, that and the silly legends you have written down over the ages." Loki delicately folded his hands behind his back, painting a gentle smile across his features. "What stories has he regaled you with?"

Steve glanced at him only briefly, keeping his eyes trained on the path in front of him. "Just one." He kept walking, shoulders squared and lips a firm, thin line, all previous signs of openness gone. "He told us how he got banished, and that was it."

Loki couldn't ignore the flood of relief that washed over him upon hearing those words, but he didn't let it show on his face. It was bad enough that his origins shamed him to the point where he didn't want anyone—not even a race as low as the mortals—to know about it, but the thought of these lowlifes knowing he had those kinds of secrets at all was almost worse.

"I see. If that's the case, then he must have talked about me, as well."

Steve didn't look at him this time. "That would make sense."

Loki said nothing, his hands rubbing against each other out of habit. _He's completely closed up again. It won't do any good to press him for information right now. _So, the raven-haired trickster turned his attention to other things, such as searching for a window that would let him peer into the outside world for a moment. Not knowing what realm he was really in was killing him.

"We're here."

Bright green eyes snapped back to the super soldier, tension travelling across his shoulders when he saw Steve holding a door open for him. _Perhaps this is why he got so quiet. _One foot extended, and then the other followed it, trepidation lurking behind a veil of apathy. Slowly, carefully, honed in to every aspect of his surroundings, he entered the room.

"Loki!"

Lips curled into a smile, hands spreading delicately to gesture at the other people present in the room—all of them more familiar than he would have liked. "I will admit, as soon as I saw the good captain, I had a… nagging intuition that you would be at the end of this labyrinth. Tell me, is this something Odin concocted, or is this a justice of your own creation?"

"Neither." Director Fury's voice answered him before Thor had a chance, and Loki immediately placed all of his attention on the man standing off to the side. "It's a compromise."

"Between whom?"

Fury gestured to the blonde-haired thunder god sitting just a few feet away, lined on both sides by his fellow heroes. "Him, myself, and your old man."

"He is not my father," he growled, the outburst no longer requiring thought. "I asked for no compromise." He looked at Thor then, eyes still narrowed. His brother was naïve and childish, not to be trusted with matters of justice where he was emotionally involved.

"B… Loki, you have not even heard us out yet." Thor glanced at the man on his right, the beast in disguise, and then looked forward again, his eyes betraying nervousness that was not native to the thunderer.

"I need not to." Loki's voice was crisp and business like, with just enough bitterness to sharpen the edge of his tone. "You should not have gotten involved. Where anyone of emotional value is concerned, your sense of justice is weak and fractured, Odinson."

"True." The Director cut in once again, pulling away from the wall he had been leaning against and walking over to where Loki and Steve were. "But mine isn't. Most of the people in this room would gladly see you dead, and since we live in a democracy, you'd be much better off appealing to your brother's idealistic mercy than cutting it down. We'll gladly send you back if you change his mind."

Loki said nothing, not even bothering to correct the man. He looked at Thor long and hard, scanning the other's face for any sign of that familiar sentiment. Weak, wide-eyed, hopeful, pleading sentiment. There was none, and while Thor seemed sympathetic, he seemed much harder towards Loki than he had been the last time they saw each other.

"…Tell me, then." He picked at his thumb with the opposite hand, remaining in a rigid and professional stance. "What is this compromise?"

Steve walked away at this point, joining his still silent comrades at their table. Fury didn't say anything either, and Loki felt a fleeting ghost of fear, banishing it the moment he was aware of its presence. He didn't speak, either. He refused to press for an answer he didn't want to hear in the first place.

Finally, Tony's chair started to swivel and creak, his legs finding their way up onto the table and crossing at the ankles. "We're placing you under advanced house arrest."

Loki's brow creased.

"My tower is big enough and advanced enough to keep you in one place, especially now that you don't have your voodoo powers. We," he gestured to those present at the table, "live here, so we'll be able to keep an eye on you. On top of that…" He let his voice trail, pointing to Bruce and quickly losing himself in a flood of notifications on his cellular device. Either that, or he was playing a game. Either was plausible in Loki's mind.

The doctor adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat before speaking. "You'll have daily hour-long sessions with me so we can try and figure out some psychological solutions for you." That was vague. Loki didn't like it, but Bruce continued speaking. "As time goes on, we'll figure out if we need to increase or decrease visits, and other people may be pulled into our sessions from time to time, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but Thor interrupted him. _Something familiar, at least._

"Most importantly, Loki," he stated, standing up and bracing his arms against the table. "During your stay on Midgard, you will repay the debts that you owe to the citizens of New York City. You will serve the community by putting your talents to good use while you are here. I will not allow you to become stagnant."

Loki calmed the rage in his belly with a slow and careful succession of inhales and exhales. His hands curled into fists briefly, but he forced them to relax a moment later. _I have to maintain the upper hand. I have to stay calm, and I have to appear completely unconcerned. _

Giving his brother a mildly curious look, he changed the subject entirely. "What did Odin suggest to make you devise such a scheme?"

"Father intended to have you executed."

Loki could smell the lie a thousand miles away, but he let it slide for the moment, choosing instead to curl his mouth into a smirk. "I would have preferred you let him have his way."

Thor blinked, opening his mouth but having nothing to say.

Agent Barton, who had remained quiet through the entire meeting, now spoke up. "Then I guess it sucks to be you, doesn't it?"

Just like that, his fate was sealed.


End file.
